If, for dietary or ethical reasons, you have decided that you
want to put your infant on a vegetarian diet, you should be very
careful in choosing formulas and solid food for your child.
If you plan to breastfeed the infant and you are also a
vegetarian, you may need to supplement breastmilk with
additional sources of nutrition, depending on your dietary
restrictions. If you are a vegan, or an ovo-vegetarian, you
should add sources of vitamin B-12 to your child's diet.
Other than the B-12 supplements, your infant should be able to
receive all micro and macronutrients through breastfeeding, even
if you are on a strictly vegan diet.
If you plan to use formula rather than breastmilk, you should
stick to commercial formulas, which contain the proper amounts
and ratios of nutrients. If you opt for a homemade formula or
soymilk over a commercial product, your child could experience
developmental problems from a lack of proper nutrition.
If you want to keep your infant on a vegan diet, you can select
a soy commercial formula, as long as it is
nutritionally-adequate.
After about a year, you can begin to supplement formula or
breastmilk with other sources of nutrition, such as homemade
formulas, soymilk, yogurt, and cow's milk (if you are not a
vegan).
Nutritionists suggest that you keep your infant on a full-fat,
high protein diet after age one, which includes
vegetarian-friendly foods, such as mashed and pureed avocados,
soy milk, nutrient-fortified tofu, and yogurt.
When you are ready to switch your infant to solid vegetarian
foods, you can introduce solid tofu, pieces of vegetarian
burgers, eggs, and cheese.
If you supplement what a nonvegetarian diet lacks, maintain a
full-fat diet, and increase your infant's sources of protein,
you should have no problem maintaining a healthful vegetarian
diet during your child's crucial developmental stages.
About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a vegetarian and nutrition expert from
Nashville, TN. Visit
http://www.recipe-vegetarian.com/ for more
information on vegetarian recipes and resources.
